In Our Nature / Jose Gonzalez

In Our Nature / Jose Gonzalez

Names like Elliott Smith, Nick Drake, and Tim Buckley are often used together, not necessarily to describe one exact sonic style of singer, but more as incredibly passionate verbs, to identify the strong emotions evoked when listening to these late legends'' sparse melodies. Swedish-based Argentinian musician José Gonz&#225lez is likely to hear those classic names a lot in his future. Gonz&#225lez received critical underground love from his 2003 debut disc <i>Veneer</i>, but garnered more widespread attention as a guest vocalist for downtempo group Zero 7. The singer''s gentle vocals and Spanish-meets-classical guitar style make a quietly compelling match, especially so on his sophomore CD <i>In Our Nature</i>, easily the best work--either as a solo or contributing vocalist--that he has released to date. The track that may well attract the most new eardrums is his sparse, whisper-soft cover of Massive Attack''s "Teardrop" (a.k.a., the theme song to the TV show <i>House</i>), but many of his own tunes are equally endearing. War and world leaders were clearly on his mind when writing this disc, from opener "How Low"--in which Gonz&#225lez sings "Invasion after invasion/This means war/Someday you''ll be up to your knees/in the shit you seek"--to the flamenco-affected track, "Killing for Love." All of these poignant--and at times pointed--lyrics are surrounded in lush, yet sparse melodies that make for music that is truly praise-worthy, bordering on timeless. <i>--Denise Sheppard</i>Names like Elliott Smith, Nick Drake, and Tim Buckley are often used together, not necessarily to describe one exact sonic style of singer, but more as incredibly passionate verbs, to identify the strong emotions evoked when listening to these late legends'' sparse melodies. Swedish-based Argentinian musician José Gonz&#225lez is likely to hear those classic names a lot in his future. Gonz&#225lez received critical underground love from his 2003 debut disc <i>Veneer</i>, but garnered more widespread attention as a guest vocalist for downtempo group Zero 7. The singer''s gentle vocals and Spanish-meets-classical guitar style make a quietly compelling match, especially so on his sophomore CD <i>In Our Nature</i>, easily the best work--either as a solo or contributing vocalist--that he has released to date. The track that may well attract the most new eardrums is his sparse, whisper-soft cover of Massive Attack''s "Teardrop" (a.k.a., the theme song to the TV show <i>House</i>), but many of his own tunes are equally endearing. War and world leaders were clearly on his mind when writing this disc, from opener "How Low"--in which Gonz&#225lez sings "Invasion after invasion/This means war/Someday you''ll be up to your knees/in the shit you seek"--to the flamenco-affected track, "Killing for Love." All of these poignant--and at times pointed--lyrics are surrounded in lush, yet sparse melodies that make for music that is truly praise-worthy, bordering on timeless. <i>--Denise Sheppard</i>